Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Just a big waiting game!
As some of you already know, we started going back to the doctor about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I have been on a break for about 3 months, taking three different medications to help bring my hormone levels down. After school let out we went back a week later and during the first ultra sound she checked for cysts. I was clear and at that point I was put back on injections. I was a little concerned with the type of injection she put me on because I had been on it before and responded not at all. Then I had to remind myself that I wasn't on any type of medicine to help my hormone levels, so instead of questioning I trusted the doctor. She has been right thus far and knows how much we want this to work so I knew she wasn't taking this lightly. On day's 3-5 I injected 75iu of Bravelle. When we went in for an ultrasound check I only had a few follicles that were measuring between 7 and 8. This had me concerned, but she reassured me she started me on the lowest possible dose and she expected this. I stayed on 75iu's for the next couple of days and went in again and they grew between 8 and 9 this time. So we were progressing but very very slowly. At this point she doubled my dose through the weekend. When I came back in they were between 10 and 12. I was kept on the same dose for a few more days and when I came back I had 2 follicles on my right ovary that were at 13mm and one on my left that was at 10mm. At this point I was getting excited because this was the biggest they have ever been. So I was kept on the same medicine, same dose over the weekend. When we came back for another check to my surprise on my right ovary I had one at a 16 and the one on my left grew to a 17! She said they like them to be between 16 and 20 mm before we do the trigger shot to induce ovulation, so we are right on target. I couldn't believe it and neither could she. I think the Dr. was just as excited as we were. So the plan is to take another dose of medicine to allow them to grow a little bit more, trigger the next day and IUI after that! Only time will tell at this point. It's always a waiting game with this process, but it will all be worth it in the end. I honestly can't believe we are this far. It's almost as if we are already pregnant. I think it helps that even if it doesn't end up as a pregnancy we know what will work now. Our prayers are being answered and I thank God every day for allowing us to get even this far. I know with out Him none of this would be possible. I want to thank everyone for lifting us up in prayer. We still have a long way to go so please keep praying for us. We are halfway through the process and we are very much thankful and praising Him for getting us this far. Again, thank you for praying and keep them coming.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Getting anxious...
I was sitting on the couch tonight as Tom is snoring beside me looking at some videos on SHER's Facebook page of couples getting to see the first ultrasound after they found out they were pregnant. It was so encouraging and emotional getting to see someones hopes become a reality; and it really got me thinking tonight. So I decided instead of sitting there listening to Tom snore and getting emotional by myself, I should give an update of where we are in our journey. Here is an update of what happened in Jan./Feb. and what is to come at the end of May.
January: We went back to the SHER Institute to try for the IUI. I had my baseline ultra sound to rule out any cysts on my ovaries. Then I started FSH injections on days 4-8 of my cycle. On Day 9 I went in for another ultra sound to see if the follicles were responding at all. At this point all we wanted was to get past this ultra sound. It was at this point about a year ago at around the same time that we found out my body wasn't responding at all to the injections I was on. Well, we got some good news, I was responding. I had some follicles at 9 mm, and there was one between 10 and 11 mm. We were pretty excited, but they still had a ways to go. My Dr. had me take 3 more days of injections and then I was to go back in and she was going to re-check them. Well four days and one ultra sound later we found out that it wasn't working as well as it should have been and that cycle was canceled. I was so disappointed but at the same time all that we asked and prayed for was to get past that first ultrasound. So my instructions were to wait on a new cycle and if it didn't come within the next two weeks to call. Well about a week and a half later I started a cycle on my own. This was the first time I have started on my own in about a 6 months. So now we are into February.
February: The doctor is just as puzzled as we are at this point as to what protocol (fertility meds) to put me on. Because I have so many follicles she didn't want to put me on injections again and risk over stimulation, especially if I am cycling on my own at this point. So we tried Femara, which is a pill, kind of like clomid only not. So I started the Femara on day 5 and took it through day 9. Unfortunatley this did not do what we had hoped. My follicles hardly responded at all and the lining of my uterus was pretty thin compared to when I was on the injections. At this point I felt pretty defeated. She took another look at my blood work and noticed my androgen levels were above normal and she was surprised that since my Family Physican had diagnosed me with PCOS that I wasn't on Metformin which helps to counteract the symptoms. Soooo at this point I was put on Metformin and Dexamethasone, along with my thyroid medication to see if that would help bring my hormone levels back to a neutral enough state that the medicine would kick in and work. I was scheduled to come back in 5 days to check my follicles again. Needless to say it didn't work, once again.
It was really hard at that point to feel like I even had a chance. I felt like giving up. Let me tell you, it really sucks getting that kind of news and having to go into work and teach your kids without breaking down and crying. Later on that day I e-mailed my doctor and asked her if she knew why I wasn't responding, if this was normal, and if she even felt like I had a chance even taking all this medicine and waiting. This is what I love about the SHER Institute. Dr. Dayal took time out of her busy afternoon to just call me back instead of e-mailing me. She reassured me that they look at two things when a woman is not responding to meds..1. If I have been through menopuase already (which at this point they know I haven't because of my age and becuase of my ovarian reserve) and 2. If my androgen levels are high. She said if we can get my hormone levels to a neutral state then I should respond to the injections. This really put my mind at ease. It has seemed like an eternity waiting to try again since the end of February, but the time is almost here to give it another go. Since the last ultra sound when we found out it didn't work, Dr. Dayal put me on 1500 mg of Metformin, 1 mg of Dex, a birth control pack to keep me cycling regularly (which will also help bring my androgen levels down) and my thyroid medication. Taking all this medication has left me with some side effects that I could definitley do with out. But I just keep telling myself in the end it will all be work it. Tom and I recently went to a fertility seminar that the SHER institute put on at their clinic in St.Louis. We found out a lot of good information and just felt more encouraged as the day went on that we are on the right path. The path to finally starting a family.
The Future: As of right now I have a month and a half of birth control I will continue to take, which will put me at the end of May. I wanted to time it this way so that I could be done with the school year and not have to stress about leaving my kids during MAP testing or finishing up last minute meetings. I figure the less stress the better. I will continue to take the Dex, Metformin and Thyroid meds until they tell me to stop. So the end of May is when we will go back and try again I am getting very anxious. Every time we go back we get a little closer to our goal. I will admit that it doesn't make it easy seeing friends and family go through what we have been praying and believeing in for that past going on 5 years now. But I know God has a plan for us. He knows our hearts desires. We would appreciate more prayers and to be kept on your prayer list throughout our journey. I will update as the time gets closer to share more news.
January: We went back to the SHER Institute to try for the IUI. I had my baseline ultra sound to rule out any cysts on my ovaries. Then I started FSH injections on days 4-8 of my cycle. On Day 9 I went in for another ultra sound to see if the follicles were responding at all. At this point all we wanted was to get past this ultra sound. It was at this point about a year ago at around the same time that we found out my body wasn't responding at all to the injections I was on. Well, we got some good news, I was responding. I had some follicles at 9 mm, and there was one between 10 and 11 mm. We were pretty excited, but they still had a ways to go. My Dr. had me take 3 more days of injections and then I was to go back in and she was going to re-check them. Well four days and one ultra sound later we found out that it wasn't working as well as it should have been and that cycle was canceled. I was so disappointed but at the same time all that we asked and prayed for was to get past that first ultrasound. So my instructions were to wait on a new cycle and if it didn't come within the next two weeks to call. Well about a week and a half later I started a cycle on my own. This was the first time I have started on my own in about a 6 months. So now we are into February.
February: The doctor is just as puzzled as we are at this point as to what protocol (fertility meds) to put me on. Because I have so many follicles she didn't want to put me on injections again and risk over stimulation, especially if I am cycling on my own at this point. So we tried Femara, which is a pill, kind of like clomid only not. So I started the Femara on day 5 and took it through day 9. Unfortunatley this did not do what we had hoped. My follicles hardly responded at all and the lining of my uterus was pretty thin compared to when I was on the injections. At this point I felt pretty defeated. She took another look at my blood work and noticed my androgen levels were above normal and she was surprised that since my Family Physican had diagnosed me with PCOS that I wasn't on Metformin which helps to counteract the symptoms. Soooo at this point I was put on Metformin and Dexamethasone, along with my thyroid medication to see if that would help bring my hormone levels back to a neutral enough state that the medicine would kick in and work. I was scheduled to come back in 5 days to check my follicles again. Needless to say it didn't work, once again.
It was really hard at that point to feel like I even had a chance. I felt like giving up. Let me tell you, it really sucks getting that kind of news and having to go into work and teach your kids without breaking down and crying. Later on that day I e-mailed my doctor and asked her if she knew why I wasn't responding, if this was normal, and if she even felt like I had a chance even taking all this medicine and waiting. This is what I love about the SHER Institute. Dr. Dayal took time out of her busy afternoon to just call me back instead of e-mailing me. She reassured me that they look at two things when a woman is not responding to meds..1. If I have been through menopuase already (which at this point they know I haven't because of my age and becuase of my ovarian reserve) and 2. If my androgen levels are high. She said if we can get my hormone levels to a neutral state then I should respond to the injections. This really put my mind at ease. It has seemed like an eternity waiting to try again since the end of February, but the time is almost here to give it another go. Since the last ultra sound when we found out it didn't work, Dr. Dayal put me on 1500 mg of Metformin, 1 mg of Dex, a birth control pack to keep me cycling regularly (which will also help bring my androgen levels down) and my thyroid medication. Taking all this medication has left me with some side effects that I could definitley do with out. But I just keep telling myself in the end it will all be work it. Tom and I recently went to a fertility seminar that the SHER institute put on at their clinic in St.Louis. We found out a lot of good information and just felt more encouraged as the day went on that we are on the right path. The path to finally starting a family.
The Future: As of right now I have a month and a half of birth control I will continue to take, which will put me at the end of May. I wanted to time it this way so that I could be done with the school year and not have to stress about leaving my kids during MAP testing or finishing up last minute meetings. I figure the less stress the better. I will continue to take the Dex, Metformin and Thyroid meds until they tell me to stop. So the end of May is when we will go back and try again I am getting very anxious. Every time we go back we get a little closer to our goal. I will admit that it doesn't make it easy seeing friends and family go through what we have been praying and believeing in for that past going on 5 years now. But I know God has a plan for us. He knows our hearts desires. We would appreciate more prayers and to be kept on your prayer list throughout our journey. I will update as the time gets closer to share more news.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Third times a charm!
Ok. So here it goes again. Let me start with the latest news.I got an e-mail back in November that the doctor I was seeing has decided to leave the practice. It also said that Dr. Sher who is at the Las Vegas office was coming to STL to train another doctor but would be taking over the STL office in the mean time. So now I am seeing Dr. Dayal. I have seen her about 4 times now and I love her. She has been through the infertility journey herself so now I am seeing a Dr. who can actually relate to what I am feeling and going through.
We decided to start trying again in January. I called my doctor and they started me on provera to have a cycle. I was put on follistim, which are injections for 5 days. I went in for an Ultrasound to check my follicles on January 30. We got some of the best news, it was working! I had one follicle measuring 10 mm, and the lining of my uterus was thickening. All good signs. My doctor put me on 2 more days of injections and I went back on Friday to re-check my follicles. The one that was measuring 10mm had grown to almost 11mm. Not such a good sign, but she was willing to push me as far as my body would allow. The doctor was puzzled at this point because I should have been responding almost too well to the injections. She said there were only two reasons I shouldn't be. 1. IF i've already been through menopause, which isn't the case because I have tons of follies, and 2. IF my androgen levels were elevated. After looking at my blood work she had seen that they had been so she put me on a pill to try and bring those levels down enough to allow the meds to work the way they were supposed too. I continued injections along with the other med through the weekend and went back in the following Monday, February 4th to make a final decision. It was not the news we were hoping for. My follicles had not grown to the size they needed to be in order for us to continue with the IUI. So that cycle was canceled. It was very disappointing. We were expecting it to work this time since we got past that first Ultrasound. I think the doctor was just as let down as we were. She said to call her in the next two weeks when I started another cycle and they could get me going again and in the mean time she would look back at my chart and see if there was something else we could do.
So now I'm counting down the days until I can call them in order to start the provera again to get another cycle going. Well as it turns out I had to call them, but not to get help starting another cycle. I had started one on my own this time. So I called my doctor on Tuesday and I went in for an Ultrasound on Wednesday (2/13) to get a baseline. I didn't have any cysts on my ovaries. Good sign! We are trying a new cocktail. I am now on metformin to help bring down my androgen levels, and instead of doing injections I am on famara which is a pill. It's similar to clomid which I have been on before with no success, but she said sometimes women will respond better to famara. Soooooooo.....I go back on Wednesday February 20 for an ultrasound to see what's going on with my follicles. I am feeling really good about this. We have gotten further in our journey in the past month than we ever have before. We are praying hard, God knows the desire of our hearts and we just pray that this is His will for us. I feel something coming, I know in my heart something big is about to happen. We have a big appointment coming up, So we are asking for lots of prayers at this time.
We decided to start trying again in January. I called my doctor and they started me on provera to have a cycle. I was put on follistim, which are injections for 5 days. I went in for an Ultrasound to check my follicles on January 30. We got some of the best news, it was working! I had one follicle measuring 10 mm, and the lining of my uterus was thickening. All good signs. My doctor put me on 2 more days of injections and I went back on Friday to re-check my follicles. The one that was measuring 10mm had grown to almost 11mm. Not such a good sign, but she was willing to push me as far as my body would allow. The doctor was puzzled at this point because I should have been responding almost too well to the injections. She said there were only two reasons I shouldn't be. 1. IF i've already been through menopause, which isn't the case because I have tons of follies, and 2. IF my androgen levels were elevated. After looking at my blood work she had seen that they had been so she put me on a pill to try and bring those levels down enough to allow the meds to work the way they were supposed too. I continued injections along with the other med through the weekend and went back in the following Monday, February 4th to make a final decision. It was not the news we were hoping for. My follicles had not grown to the size they needed to be in order for us to continue with the IUI. So that cycle was canceled. It was very disappointing. We were expecting it to work this time since we got past that first Ultrasound. I think the doctor was just as let down as we were. She said to call her in the next two weeks when I started another cycle and they could get me going again and in the mean time she would look back at my chart and see if there was something else we could do.
So now I'm counting down the days until I can call them in order to start the provera again to get another cycle going. Well as it turns out I had to call them, but not to get help starting another cycle. I had started one on my own this time. So I called my doctor on Tuesday and I went in for an Ultrasound on Wednesday (2/13) to get a baseline. I didn't have any cysts on my ovaries. Good sign! We are trying a new cocktail. I am now on metformin to help bring down my androgen levels, and instead of doing injections I am on famara which is a pill. It's similar to clomid which I have been on before with no success, but she said sometimes women will respond better to famara. Soooooooo.....I go back on Wednesday February 20 for an ultrasound to see what's going on with my follicles. I am feeling really good about this. We have gotten further in our journey in the past month than we ever have before. We are praying hard, God knows the desire of our hearts and we just pray that this is His will for us. I feel something coming, I know in my heart something big is about to happen. We have a big appointment coming up, So we are asking for lots of prayers at this time.
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